noun

tea

tee

noun

The dried leaves of the tea plant, or the hot drink made by steeping them in water.

"She makes a fresh pot of tea every morning."

"Would you like milk and sugar in your tea?"

A light meal eaten in the afternoon, or (chiefly British) the main evening meal.

"We're having sandwiches for tea this afternoon."

Informal: gossip or juicy information.

"Spill the tea — what happened at the party?"

verb

To drink tea, or to take a light afternoon meal.

"They stopped teaing at the little cafe by the harbour."

How to Use Tea

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe world's most popular hot drink, made from the leaves of the tea plant — and, informally, gossip.

UK vs US

In much of Britain, "tea" can also mean the evening meal, not just the drink — a usage that puzzles many American English speakers.

Common pairings

a cup of tea spill the tea tea and biscuits high tea

Word Forms

more tea comparative, teaed past tense, tead past tense, tea'd past tense, teas plural, teas plural, teas singular, most tea superlative

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Fill the Gap

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She makes a fresh pot of _____ every morning.

Etymology

Borrowed into English around the 1650s via Dutch "thee," itself from a southern Chinese (Hokkien) word for the tea plant. Countries that traded tea by sea from that region ended up with "tea"-like words, while those trading overland from northern China got "cha"-like words instead.

Synonyms

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tea plant tea tree tea bush tea leaves herb tea herbal tea infusion tisane char cha Rosie Rosie Lee

Related Words

char cha infusion Rosie

Rhymes for tea

ea sea pea yea lea Bea DEA hea Rea plea idea area

See all rhymes for tea →

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